Canning remains a measurable part of the U.S. food supply, especially for tomatoes and other vegetables. USDA data also shows a long-term shift in the balance between canned, fresh, processed, frozen, and juice products. The figures below cover consumption, availability, retail sales, household spending, storage, yields, and documented food-safety cases.
Contents
- Canned fruit and vegetable consumption
- Which canned foods account for the most availability
- Retail sales, prices, and household spending
- Recent produce availability and canned forms
- Canning yields and pantry shelf life
- Pressure, altitude, and food-safety figures
Canned fruit and vegetable consumption
In 2008, the average American consumed 10 pounds of canned fruit and 39 pounds of canned vegetables. These are per-person figures from the USDA Economic Research Service (USDA ERS) AP-050 report, and they describe that report’s 2008 measurement period.
The longer trend was mixed. Between 1970 and 2008, total fresh and processed fruit consumption rose 6%, while total fresh and processed vegetable consumption rose 17%. Over the same period, canned fruit’s share of total fruit consumption fell from 11% to 6%. Canned vegetables declined from 30% to 24% of total vegetable consumption.
USDA ERS estimated canned fruit availability at 16.7 pounds per capita in 1970, 10.8 pounds in 2005, and 10.0 pounds in 2008. That represents a 40% decline from 1970 to 2008. Canned vegetable availability was 42.5 pounds per capita in 1970, 43.0 pounds in 2005, and 38.9 pounds in 2008, a 9% decline across the period.
The comparison is useful for pantry planning: canned fruit availability dropped substantially, while canned vegetables remained a larger per-person category even after declining from the 2005 level. The USDA ERS AP-050 report is the source for all figures in this section.
| Measure | 1970 | 2005 | 2008 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canned fruit availability, pounds per capita | 16.7 | 10.8 | 10.0 |
| Canned vegetable availability, pounds per capita | 42.5 | 43.0 | 38.9 |
| Canned fruit share of total fruit consumption | 11% | — | 6% |
| Canned vegetable share of total vegetable consumption | 30% | — | 24% |
Which canned foods account for the most availability
Fruit availability in 2008 was concentrated in a few products. Apples and applesauce totaled 3.0 pounds per capita and represented 29.7% of canned fruit availability. Pineapples totaled 2.2 pounds and represented 21.5%, while peaches totaled 2.1 pounds and represented 20.9%. Pears contributed 1.9 pounds and 18.9%.
The remaining named fruit categories were smaller. Olives were 0.7 pounds per capita, or 6.9% of 2008 canned fruit availability. Cherries were 0.1 pounds, or 1.1%, and apricots were also 0.1 pounds, or 0.8%. Plums were below 0.1 pounds in both 2005 and 2008 and had declined 91% from 1970.
The product-level historical changes show different paths rather than one uniform decline. Apples and applesauce moved from 3.8 pounds per capita in 1970 to 2.8 pounds in 2005 and 3.0 pounds in 2008. Pineapples moved from 3.5 to 2.4 to 2.2 pounds. Peaches moved from 4.7 to 2.4 to 2.1 pounds, while pears moved from 2.8 to 1.9 to 1.9 pounds. Olives were 0.8 pounds in 1970, rose to 1.1 pounds in 2005, and were 0.7 pounds in 2008. These figures come from the USDA ERS AP-050 report.
Tomatoes dominated canned vegetable availability. Tomatoes were 23.3 pounds per capita in 2008, equal to 60% of total canned-vegetable availability. Their figure was 21.5 pounds in 1970 and 25.6 pounds in 2005, representing an 8% rise from 1970 to 2008.
Other vegetable categories generally declined. Sweet corn fell from 8.8 pounds per capita in 1970 to 5.3 pounds in 2005 and 4.2 pounds in 2008, a 53% decline. Snap beans fell from 2.4 to 2.0 to 1.7 pounds, a 29% decline. Cucumbers in pickle form were 1.9 pounds in 1970, 1.3 pounds in 2005, and 1.2 pounds in 2008. Carrots moved from 1.4 to 0.7 to 0.6 pounds.
Mushrooms were an exception, increasing from 0.5 pounds per capita in 1970 to 0.7 pounds in 2005 and 2008, a 37% rise from 1970 to 2008. Chile peppers were 3.7 pounds in 2005 and 3.8 pounds in 2008, accounting for 10% of canned vegetable availability in 2008. Green peas were 1.8 pounds in 1970 and 0.6 pounds in both 2005 and 2008. Canned potatoes were 1.2 pounds in 1970 and 0.6 pounds in 2005 and 2008. Sauerkraut made from cabbage was 0.9, 0.5, and 0.4 pounds across those years; asparagus was 0.4, 0.1, and 0.1 pounds. “Other canned vegetables” were 1.8, 1.8, and 1.6 pounds. The USDA ERS AP-050 report lists all of these measurements.
Retail sales, prices, and household spending
USDA ERS estimated 2008 sales of canned fruits and vegetables at $7.1 billion in supermarkets and mass supercenters. In that same retail channel and year, fresh produce sales were $70.2 billion, refrigerated and shelf-stable juice and drinks were $17.2 billion, frozen fruit and vegetables were $5.4 billion, and dried fruit was $2.0 billion. These are estimates for 2008, not current market totals.
Prices for canned vegetables rose 25.6% between 2004 and 2008, while canned fruit prices rose 18.9%. Prices for all food eaten at home rose 15% over the same period. The canned vegetable increase was therefore higher than the reported overall food-at-home increase, while the canned fruit increase was higher as well.
Household spending varied by income group. Per-person canned vegetable spending in 2008 was $12.49 for low-income households, $14.73 for medium-income households, and $11.73 for high-income households. Canned fruit spending was $6.05, $6.42, and $8.25, respectively. The corresponding 2004 figures were $13.11, $14.96, and $15.05 for canned vegetables, and $5.00, $7.59, and $7.08 for canned fruit.
| Household group | Canned vegetables, 2004 | Canned vegetables, 2008 | Canned fruit, 2004 | Canned fruit, 2008 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low income | $13.11 | $12.49 | $5.00 | $6.05 |
| Medium income | $14.96 | $14.73 | $7.59 | $6.42 |
| High income | $15.05 | $11.73 | $7.08 | $8.25 |
By region, 2008 per-person spending on canned vegetables was $13.72 in the Northeast, $17.73 in the Midwest, $18.14 in the South, and $12.13 in the West. Canned fruit spending was $8.36, $8.77, $7.73, and $6.50, respectively.
Age and household composition also differed. Households headed by someone under 40 spent $14.85 per person on canned vegetables and $6.80 on canned fruit in 2008. The corresponding figures for ages 40 to 64 were $19.25 and $8.57; for ages 65 or older, they were $10.39 and $15.32. Households with children spent $17.37 on canned vegetables and $8.33 on canned fruit, compared with $21.37 and $11.20 for households without children. These spending figures are from the USDA ERS AP-050 report.
Recent produce availability and canned forms
More recent USDA ERS Food Availability and Consumption figures provide context beyond the 2008 canned-food series. Vegetables available for U.S. consumption totaled 359.1 pounds per capita in 2022, down from 365.9 pounds in 2021 and below the 2004 peak of 415.4 pounds.
The 2019 loss-adjusted figures included 49.4 pounds per person of potatoes and 31.4 pounds per person of tomatoes. Canned tomatoes accounted for 60% of loss-adjusted tomato availability in 2019. This is a different measure and year from the AP-050 canned-vegetable series, so the figures should not be combined as if they were one continuous table.
Fruit availability in 2021 included 14.7 pounds per person of loss-adjusted apple juice, roughly 9 pounds of fresh apples, and 3.1 pounds of canned, dried, and frozen apples combined. Bananas were 13.2 pounds per person, and orange juice was 16.6 pounds per person. These USDA ERS Food Availability and Consumption figures show the scale of fresh and juice categories relative to combined canned, dried, and frozen forms.
Canning yields and pantry shelf life
The USDA Food Buying Guide reports that a No. 10 can of vegetables yields an average of 12 to 13 2/3 cups and weighs 96 ounces, or 6 pounds, to 117 ounces, or 7 pounds 5 ounces. Tomato paste yields 27.6 creditable one-quarter-cup vegetable servings per pound. Two No. 10 cans of tomato puree provide 192 creditable one-quarter-cup vegetable servings because one can yields 96 servings.
USDA FSIS Shelf-Stable Food Safety lists a 2-to-5-year shelf-life range for canned meat and poultry, stews, soups other than tomato, potatoes, corn, carrots, spinach, beans, beets, peas, and pumpkin. After opening, these foods can be refrigerated for 3 to 4 days according to the same source.
Juices, tomatoes, grapefruit, pineapple, apples and apple products, mixed fruit, peaches, pears, plums, berries, pickles, sauerkraut, and vinegar-based foods have a listed shelf-stable period of 12 to 18 months. After opening, the listed refrigerator period is 5 to 7 days. These are USDA FSIS storage ranges, not guarantees for every individual jar or can; the food’s condition and handling still matter.
Pressure, altitude, and food-safety figures
USDA FSIS High Altitude Cooking specifies 11 pounds of pressure from sea level through 2,000 feet to reach 240°F. The pressure rises with elevation: 12 pounds at 2,001 to 4,000 feet, 13 pounds at 4,001 to 6,000 feet, 14 pounds at 6,001 to 8,000 feet, and 15 pounds at 8,001 to 10,000 feet.
The CDC National Botulism Surveillance Summary for 2020 recorded 226 botulism reports: 202 laboratory-confirmed cases and 24 probable cases. The case mix included 159 infant cases, 55 wound cases, 9 foodborne cases, and 3 other cases. Among the 9 confirmed foodborne cases, 6 were type A, 2 were type B, and 1 was type F.
The CDC reported 3 confirmed foodborne botulism cases in Colorado, the most of any state in 2020. Two confirmed Idaho cases were linked to home-canned asparagus, and one confirmed Iowa case was linked to home-canned peaches. Two confirmed cases in Colorado and Arizona were linked to home-canned green chili peppers with onions. These are specific 2020 surveillance findings and should not be treated as a current annual rate or as evidence that every home-canned food carries the same risk.